Where The Sand Meets The Sea
by LivingWorlder
Summary: Krisandra lives in a world where the environment is in collapse and the government is forcing a mandatory breeding program between her people and a race of Mer-People. She finds her strength to fight when she meets the King of the Mer-People and discovers her heritage. Will she be able to save her world and the lives in it in time or will the government win?
1. Generations

**In a World called Flidais**

The Mer-people walked as if condemned. They followed a dirt trail tendrils of lavender, thyme, and black-eyed Susan along the borders. It was like the flowers were separating this race from Krisandra and her people. They were ethereal creatures with skin so white it was almost transparent. She held her breath; _they are as beautiful as gods._ Some had brown hair or blonde some even reddish orange like a sunset. She turned to look towards the ocean and saw houses lining the coast. Those were the mer-people's homes. She could hear the water softly lapping at the shore. Piers led out to small huts that were built over the water.

She felt a prickling and turned to a pair of large turquoise eyes with dark fringed lashes. He was barely three feet away from her, wearing not a stitch of clothing like the rest of them. But this man, _excuse me, merman_ , was different from the rest. Golden hair flowed from his head but not brassy gold more like sun shining in the wheat gold, which fell around his face in little ringlet tendrils. Almost like every hair was exactly where it was suppose to be. She was jealous. Her hair never did what she wanted. The only possession on all of the mer-people was a necklace of mermaid murack stone and although the rest had only simple stones hung to their chests this mans was different because his was inlaid into a metal triton. The silver glinted in her eyes and she wondered about the stone's color. Her gaze traveled down from the pendant and she noticed the scar that started right beneath it that ran from sternum to pelvic bone. _What or who could have done something so terrible?_

When the light hit him it blinded her although she could not peel her eyes away. He walked down the trail like royalty, like a king. He did not hang his head low nor did he cast his eyes shamefully down. He stared straight ahead into every person's eyes, but especially hers. Her skin heated up as if fire ants were biting her all over. He was undressed her just as he was equally undressed. Her cheeks felt hot and she knew they must of turned pink. She did not look away though. Her stomach clenched and she felt a sudden lightness as the last mer-people walked what they probably thought was the last day of their lives.

She wouldn't blame them and could not. What her government was doing to the mer-people and to her own race was wrong. But they informed her people cordially that it was for the betterment of their life and the next generation's lives. Her parents had to do it, her grandparents did and her great, great-grandparents and her other many ancestors had to mate with the mer-people. She had to admit she was afraid. She could be with any kind of person and now her choice was being taken away from her. Not having control was the scariest thing she could ever do. She was the generation who had to give up love and their own decisions and their life to...to what?

She really didn't know.


	2. The Dream

She dreamed of him that night. She was in the water. She could definitely feel the water surrounding her but she also felt arms encircling her. They pulled her closer. She was cupped against him. His body was warm and strong but she couldn't figure out at first who it was holding her. The moonlight was hidden just slightly by a cloud and for the moment she dreamed of him in the dark. He caressed her making her tremble beneath him his hands working magic on her body. Then the beam of silver pale moonlight fell onto the man's golden wheat hair that resembled a mane that curled around those sea blue eyes. He kissed her chin and then her cheek making his way to her mouth. She pulled away not hard but like a whisper between them. She dreamed that he would smell as fresh as the sea or like salt.

"Who are you?"

"I'm your prince," he answered like she should know.

"My prince?"

He kissed her neck, "Yes, and you are my princess."

Krisandra jerked awake. She was sweating as if she really had been having sex. It clung to her like perfume. She filled her glass up with water from the bathroom sink and drifted onto her balcony. She gulped down half the glass and gazed down into the water. Kris had to do a double take because she saw a thing in the water swimming closer and closer. She saw blonde in the moonlight, which made her gasp and she ducked back into the house. She threw on a white silk robe and tied it at the waist and hurried down the stairs. She lived on a small plateau so she had to go down a stairway that was cut into the hard rock. It took her a few minutes and by the time she got down there she convinced herself she hadn't seen anything after all.

She started walking along the beach by the full moon. The sand was as soft as powder that cushioned her every step. As she rounded a bend in the plateau of the cliff she could see movement; it was him, the mermaid she saw this morning. She walked slowly and close to the cliff side as to not alert him to her presence. She wanted to see him much closer than when she saw him this morning. She wished she could touch the fin that was shining in the moonlight. The reds, yellows, greens and blues looked richer than anything she had ever seen before. He was even more beautiful this way than the way she saw him for the first time walking with such regality. The cliff wall up against her back brushed her fingertips and the roughness brought her back from her thoughts of this divine creature. The scar hung like his necklace hung on his neck, its cruel lines told a tale she almost didn't want to imagine. It trickled into her mind and haunted her thoughts. She had a feeling it was a _who_ that did something to him because no thing made such clean lines. _Things do it out of necessity and instinct while humans do it out of cruelty and savagery she thought._

Krisandra's shadow fell on the ground next to his and the mer-man turned his head towards her. His turquoise eyes shot up to hers before the utter look of hatred spread over his face. Those angry eyes traveled down to her chest where a small stone of murack and pearl hung from a silver chain around her slender neck. She instinctively rolled the pearl between her fingers, the memory of her father flashing through her mind at the touch. Kris saw his muscles in his abdomen tighten like he was ready to flee at any moment. Then his jaw clenched and his fists curled up in the sand.

His voice was reserved but every word cut through her as he forced himself to speak to her, "You…human, do not deserve to wear _my_ people's stone."

She rolled the murack stone through her fingers before speaking, afraid she would reveal how weak she could be and then said in the strongest voice she could muster, "I know but it is all I have of… of my father's."

His eyes softened but his jaw hardened, "You are still human."

Her eyes traveled over his body again when she realized there was blood on the sand, "You are hurt."

"No, I just love sitting helpless on a beach waiting to be gutted and filleted." he said. She made a move to get a closer look when he shot devil's eyes at her and hissed, "Don't touch me."

She stopped, "I'm not but if I get a closer look I could help you."

"I don't need or want your help."

"Please, I am a healer."

"I don't care what you are, you are a disgusting human to me."

The words didn't phase her because now she was not Krisandra she was a healer. She pushed her shoulders back and put on her warrior face full of determination. When her voice came out it was controlled and resolute, "I don't care what I am or what you are. You are here and so am I and my duty is to any creature, big or small. You will sit there and allow me to help you because you need to get better, for your people. You are weak alone but strong as a whole and one less of you could be the difference between escaping your fate and overcoming it. NOW, shut up and stay still while I examine you."

She crouched down next to his left side and put her hands on his fin. They were soft and not like slime at all. She could hear him tapping his nails together in agitation and feel his muscles bunch so tight she was afraid they might snap under his skin.

"Will you relax?"

"How can I with you touching me?"

"Imagine your love touching you, close your eyes and pretend that it is not a disgusting human but the mermaid of your dreams."

His eyes fell close and she heard the sharp intake of breath as he tried to relax his muscles. She wondered who he was thinking about that made him relax with such ease. He let it out slowly and inch by inch he started to relax his tightly wound muscles. Now she could see exactly where the shallow wound was between the layers of his scales. It was a small incision from the fence.

"You swam out to far," she stated.

"How did you know?"

"Because I have treated this type of wound many times."

"I wanted to remember a time when I was free."

"We all do."

His eyes flew back open and they were face to face, "You don't know what you are talking about."

Krisandra's mind became clouded. She could see every line, even the veins on his translucent skin. He was so beautiful she almost forgot to breathe. When she did finally inhale she could smell limes and coconut. Kris' eyes fluttered shut at the euphoric scent of him and then jammed them back open at her stupidity. _You are supposed to be helping him not wondering about his smell._

She stuttered, "I… I … You smell amazing." _Why did she say that out loud, she berated to herself._

The mer-man's eyebrows furrowed over his eyes, "You stupid humans."

"I'm sorry but when I saw you I imagined you would smell like the sea or salt but you don't at all."

He shook his head, "I thought you were going to heal me or help me."

"You're absolutely right." She stood up, "I have to go get my bag, please don't leave."


	3. Truce

She ran back the way she came and hurried up the stairs to her house. By the time she got back to the mer-man she was out of breath and she was surprised that he was still where she left him. It gave her time to clear her head. She opened her bag and she felt the mer-man stiffen next to her.

"It's okay. I am only going to pack your wound with some willow bark wrapped in seaweed."

She worked silently next to him when she realized she didn't know what to call him. He had to have a name.

"May I ask you something?"

Those blue-green eyes looked at her again. The hardness of them surprised her because his lips appeared to be soft, "What?"

Although his voice held a certain harshness she remained sweet toned, "What is your name?"

"Seph."

"I am Krisandra."

She packed the seaweed down into the wound and he hissed in pain. She closed her eyes and pushed off some of her energy into his body through their connecting skin. She could feel the lightening of his emotions as she radiated her own strength into his body. Her gift of emotions came in handy as a healer. She could influence most people's pain to help them overcome their wound. It was not the only thing she could do but she tried often enough to not let people know she was different. People fear what they do not know.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

Her eyes opened and he was inches from her face again, "I don't know. It is my gift."

"Thank you."

She smiled and took his hand before her eyes rolled into the back of her head. The voice that escaped her was not her own, "Do not fear her my child. She shall be your salvation."

She collapsed. Seph pulled her into his arms wishing the pain did not stop him from changing. _What was that suppose to mean? A human would be his salvation._ The Great Mother gave messages in strange ways. He looked down at the human woman, Krisandra. The moment he had seen her this morning he could not stop thinking about her. It made him hate himself more. Seph's thoughts should not be consumed by any woman, much less a human woman. He brushed back her long raven black hair and studied her relaxed face. _She did help you._ _That has to say something._ She had long fringed lashes that framed large expressive eyes. Her lips were not full, the bottom lip was plump but the top lip was small and barely there. Seph let his fingers caress her jaw line which was soft like flower petals.

How could the Great Mother do this to him? She was really resting his people's whole survival on one measly weak human girl? Her weight was heavy and he pushed her up against his chest to relieve the pressure on his fin.

"Krisandra? Kris…"

Her eyelids fluttered and then her eyes flew open but remained hazy as if she had slept a long time even though she had only been out for several minutes. She smiled up at him, "How do you make yourself smell like that?"

 _Her lips were so perfect in their imperfection he thought._ Her weakened state allowed him to let his guard down and although he still hated the fact that she had helped him he couldn't resist giving her something in return.

"It is from my pheromones. Every being perceives my and all mermaids scents differently. You may smell coconut and lime while my sister may smell freshly watered dirt or incidentally someone may smell salt water. It is used to attract a mate of course. Just like you humans. You have a smell."

"What do I smell like?"

"Beeswax."

"Beeswax?"

He felt his lips turn up a slight bit, "Yes, beeswax. You smell like candles burning or freshly made ointment cream. But mostly all I can imagine when I breathe you in is candlelight."

She sighed and finally sat up, "I don't smell anything."

"Well, of course you won't smell yourself. I don't smell myself either."

"I suppose that is true."

"Of course it… is," he paused, feeling the stone on his chest burn a bright red knowing from the sensation that it changed colors. Something had happened and he had to get back to his people.

Seph put his wall back up and looked at this human, "I have to go. Thank you."

He pushed off of the shore and made his way into deeper water leaving the woman alone in the sand. Seph heard her cry out, "Wait, please." He stopped for a moment to listen to her soft your welcome before tearing off through the water towards the dwellings that had been built for his people.

Kris walked back inside and could not sleep because her mind was still focused on what just occurred, so she made salves. She made the basics. Some for bruises, cuts, stings, and even bites. There was a different ingredient mixture for each one. She had made it so many times she knew the mixture already. This process gave her time to think about all that Seph had said. He obviously had a reason to hate and be angry with humans. She wanted to know exactly what was going on with their government. _What were they doing with us?_ She also knew something must have happened when she passed out. _It was probably another one of her predictions_. Eventually fatigue took hold of her mind and she was able to crawl into bed so she could fall asleep dreamlessly.


	4. Janus and the Question

The next morning Kris went about taking care of the children and attending any ailments, which meant she was in the fields collecting herbs and vegetables to make use of in her salves or for dinner while the children "helped". They were absolutely endearing as they toddled behind her with their chubby faces and smiles as they played with each other and at random brought her small pieces of plant particles.

"Here is a flower for you Kris" one named Ginger said.

"Aw, thank you so much sweetheart," she tucked it behind her ear gently.

No sooner than she could turn around her best friend had run up behind her and jumped on her back. To her surprise she was in a good mood although it was the day after the mer-people had been marched to enslavement and in turn their own enslavement.

"Kris! This sure is an exciting day," Janus said.

"Why?"

"Oh, I got to see a mermaid swim around. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen," she said.

Very dryly Kris said, "That's rather exciting. Have you thought that they maybe would like to be considered sentient creatures and not just things".

"What is wrong with you?"

"I don't know. Probably the fact that I and many other men and women are having their choices taken away from them. Do you know why? Does anyone know why we have to sacrifice, not only our freedom but our bodies in order to satisfy our government for what ever reasoning they happen to have? And what is the reason that could be so important that we must be forced to do something so inhumane? Why do we have to do this?"

"I think," Janus said pausing, "that we will just have to trust our government to do what is best for us. Not to mention that this is the most exciting thing that has ever happened in this small village. It is not that bad."

"Really? Not that bad. I disagree. I and don't forget you will be forced to have sex with a man we have never met, then carry his child for 9 months, and eventually the potential father will be taken away to another town to do it again. What about his life? Maybe he, who ever he is, would want to take care of his own child. Maybe I would want him to help me. Have you even thought about those mer-people's own lives? They are in the same situation as we are and they hate us."

Janus bit her lip and finally said, "I didn't even think about it like that."

"Well I had a lot of time last night to think and I just can't get this nagging feeling to leave me that this is utterly and completely wrong. I just don't understand our government and I don't think they want us to understand. I feel like they want us to blindly obey and if we don't then…" Kris trailed off as she put down her basket of berries and herbs.

"What can we do about it?"

"Nothing," Kris shook her head. _Not yet._

"I think you are thinking about this a little too much."

"No, you just romanticize everything-"

"No I don't" Janus cut her off.

"Yes, you think that this will end in some love story and you will live happily ever after. This issue is not just about you but all of us. I mean look at Mary and Jess, your sisters are only 15, barely out of childhood but because they are "of age" they will have to go through with this fiasco. Is that right?"

"No I don't. It just never occurred to me that they would make them perform that sort of duty."

"The starting age is 15 year of age, what the government considers to be the age of man and womanhood," Kris said.

"They can't possibly expect children to give birth to children like that, it is complete insanity."

"Oh now you agree with me. I mention your sisters and now it is important to claim deprivation," Kris stooped down to get back to work.

"That is why you are my friend. You keep my head out of the clouds and remind me of the repercussions of my actions."

Krisandra scoffed and coughed at the noise she made in her throat. The sounds made both of them laugh heartily, the melody of their laughter blended with the soft constant sound of the ocean.

"Let me help you," Janus bent down and started pulling berries away from their home.

"Why do you still carry that thing?" Janus pointed at the arm length curved blade tethered to a holster on Kris' hip.

"Because Jaren said to always be prepared for anything."

"Your mother should never have let you have anything to do with that nutcase."

"My mother," her eyes darkened, "my mother should have done a lot of things. Plus Jaren was not a nutcase."

"Yes he was. He had all these conspiracy theories that he told everyone."

"Are you sure they were just theories?"

"You don't think they were?"

"No. I have a sense that they were not just stories or theories. Now that I am older and the more I hear, I think that they are more real than what our government tells us."

"Kris," a male voice called from the shore.

Both women turned their heads at the same time. The man known as Jakob started running when he realized where she had been crouched. He was breathing heavily and his voice came out in a husky baritone.

"They need you at the huts" he finally said.

"They who?"

"The mer people, hut number 9"

"Ok. Janus run up to my house and grab the canvas bag by the door. You know which one. Jakob stay here please and keep an eye on the children."

Krisandra pulled her dress up and tied it at her knees and started running towards the beach. Her bare feet slapped against the wet sand as she made her way towards hut number 9.


	5. Puncture Wounds and Knowledge

"We shouldn't have sent for that healer woman," a blonde mermaid said.

"What else could we have done Anayla?" Seph said, "Since Tobian passed I don't see what other choice we have."

"I don't know but I don't trust humans. They are all evil. They enslave each other and us. Not to mention the feeling I have had for the passed five years since we were captured. They are killing the Mighty Mother. Only something as bad as them could do that to her."

"I don't trust them either but she is different. Feel her when she comes. She will help us I promise."

"Whatever you say Seph. You want to have mercy and sympathy for these creatures but they are not worth caring about."

"I do not have sympathy for these creatures anymore. That was long ago. And I will never have mercy on them. Not after what they have done to our people, but this girl did help me and she could have just left me there. I actually told her to do just that and she refused. She is a healer and that I have to trust."

Seph leaned down and wiped back the young boys hair and poured some salt water over his face and chest. He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. He couldn't protect his own people. He had allowed this to happen to them and he should have fought _. It was all his fault_. This boy was in the wrong place because he had gotten them caught and enslaved to this unknown place. If only he had known, he should have warned all his people about the fence the moment he discovered it then maybe he could have prevented this catastrophe. His eyes roamed down to his fin, which was wrapped with stainless steel wire that was impaling the flesh in spots from his waist to his fin. The entrance holes were red and raw looking while the flesh around it was swollen. A sigh escaped his lips when he heard a rustle of material behind him.

"What happened?" Krisandra's voice rang out behind him.

Seph stood up and turned around bowing his head before speaking, "I am not sure exactly but I can assume that he also got stuck in the fence."

"Let me look." She was about to move around him but he ducked out of the way before she could make it that far.

"Oh," she said, "That is from the fence. The government had it installed a couple hundred years ago when this all started. Those spines are meant to puncture whatever is trying to escape, as you can see. He had to have been out pretty far for him to run into the fence. What was he doing?"

"I am not really sure what he was doing. Since his mother died he has not been right. He has been rebelling a lot more and trying to escape. I try to keep my eyes on him but there is only so much time in a day."

"He isn't the first." Their eyes met in knowledge.

Janus ran in suddenly with Kris' canvas bag causing both of them to turn around their eyes darting back and forth between each other. Kris grabbed the bag and kissed Janus on the cheek opening the flap so she could find her wire cutters.

"Thanks Janus. Can you boil some water and get me some more clean towels. Seph I need you and possibly one more person to hold him still should he awaken."

Janus rushed back with all the items Kris asked for and set them down on the opposite table.

"Ok Janus you stand there and Seph I need you here," she pointed out.

She started to focus her energy on the boy. She could feel the weight of his flesh as her mind probed his injuries. A bright light pulsed in her mind while the hush of the waves lapped on the hut. The boy was warm but not too warm. His body was trying to dispel the foreign objects lodged in his skin. The weight of the wire cutters was heavy in her hands as she leaned over his fin. Her eyes roamed over the colors that shimmered in the individual scales of his bottom half as she started the task of removing the wires from the boy's delicate skin. The first piece came out fairly easily but some of the others liked where they were. She had to cut the skin a bit to pull the pieces free. Sweat was starting to drip down her face so she paused to wipe it away. Upon looking up Kris noticed that Janus had the strangest look on her face. She was staring intently in the direction of Seph and her face kept blushing. Kris' eyebrows furrowed down over her eyes as she set her lips in a grim line to finish her work. She didn't have time to think that look over. The last metal piece gave way and that is when she needed her towels and hot water.

"Alright guys I have to clean all the wounds now. What I need is some soap stone, some willow bark, and seaweed to pack the wounds with. We don't want to sew the lesions closed because they could get infected, so all I am going to do is pack them for today and tomorrow I will remove them so they can air out."

Janus and Seph nodded their heads and started preparing the materials. Seph grabbed a towel and started to rip long strips for the dressing. Janus left the hut to gather the seaweed and willow bark for the compress. Kris went to get clean, warm water to wash away the blood. When she came back Seph was bent over the boy's form. His hair was fanned out over his face and his taunt muscles bulged in his back as if he was lifting a tremendous amount of weight. He was still naked and handled it regally. She walked around to the other side of the boy and Seph's eyes magnetized up to her own and the longing sadness overwhelmed her. It was unsettling. _Does he see the same thing in my eyes?_ His eyes were just like in the dream except he exuded power then and now he, for just a moment, allowed defeat to creep into his mind. _Yes, defeat was what she had seen._ She didn't like the way he looked defeated. She liked imagining him the way she saw him yesterday, proud and strong.

"What is his name?" Kris finally asked.

"Jaylon."

"Everything is going to be well now that he can heal."

"Yeah. I doubt that."

"What do you mean?"

"Everything will not be well," he said.

"Why do you say that?"

"Look at me," he said looking up into her face, "I have been degraded, paraded like cattle, and I am forced against my will to be some place I do not belong. Now my people have to pay for my mistakes. I tried to trust someone and my people were captured and enslaved. If I didn't have responsibilities to these people I would have tried to do the same thing as Jaylon did."

"So are we. My people are prisoners just as you are. We don't have a choice. Our women and men are being sacrificed for the greater good as the government calls it," she said in a whisper.

"You call that a sacrifice? At least your people get to live in the comfort of your own home. You are allowed to wear clothing, but your government wants to differentiate between humans and us so it is okay. We are also forced to breed with you. We must turn our heads from our own commitments towards each other in order for your race to survive."

"What do you mean for our race to survive?" she asked.

His eyebrows shot up, "Don't you know?"

"Know what?"

"That humans are dying all over the world. The government has been killing them, mass genocide. They created too many problems for mother earth to fix and so they are killing your race so they can create some better race to take your place. The world is dying though so it won't matter."

"Can the earth be saved?"

"I doubt it but maybe. Maybe if the government was terminated and civilization was snuffed out of existence but all the huge cities that produce the toxic wastes are what are really killing her. But in order for that to stop, civilization must revert to the old ways and the government in place must not exist. Your government is corrupt and power hungry. They do not care about its people."

"I didn't know. We do not hear anything here on the edge of the earth. The government does not let us in on anything. They just expect our obedience because we are ignorant, unlike the cities. People there must know more."

Just then Janus walked through the door with the seaweed and bark root. Kris grabbed the plants and started grinding up the bark. The seaweed was still wet so she laid it in strips upon the table so she could sprinkle a healthy dose of its medicine. The seaweed was easy to roll up into nice compresses to insert into the wounds all over the adolescent's body. Once the process was finished Kris wrapped the boy with the strips of towel they had made.

"He needs rest of course but he also needs to be close to water. There is a place we can bring him to heal and I can show you. Is there someone who can sit with him while he sleeps?" Kris said.

"…"

Kris spun around at the silence and was faced with a blonde woman, "Oh hello… Where did Seph go?"

"He had something to take care of," the young woman answered quite harshly.

"Will you be able to watch over Jaylon?"

She snapped her answer, "Yes… That is why I am here."

"What is your name?" Kris asked hesitantly.

"That doesn't concern you."

"Okay… well follow me."


	6. The Black Beach

The crisp smell of apples overwhelmed her and she realized it was coming from the young woman. A large man, who smelled of freshly cut grass, came out of nowhere and picked Jaylon up. He lifted him as if he were a bag of flour but held him as if he were the most delicate flower. The big burly man did not talk and Kris did not try after her incident with the blonde woman. Her eyes wandered over to both of them. They were definitely together with the way the blonde woman kept brushing up against the bigger man. Their eyes would meet each other's and Kris wondered if they were having some sort of silent conversation. Kris was taking them to the black sands. They had a high nutritional and mineral content that was considered a miracle cure. Since the boy was part of the ocean Kris concluded that would be the best place to heal.

Kris could smell the black sands before she could see it. The grasses grew high on the hill they were traveling across and they touched their legs. This area was half hidden from the shore and from land because of the cliff's position in the gulf. Land circled around their body of water that was the life force for their colony. The cliffs secluded this one seashore and allowed these nutrients to build up, Kris supposed, and the hills hide it from onlookers from the North. The grass crunched beneath the three's feet and when they came to the top of the hill the blonde woman gasped.

"It is a healing beach," she exclaimed.

"Yes," Kris said, "I believe this water and sand has magical healing properties for us all. When we get down there we will dig a hole big enough for the boy to lie in. We will keep his head up though so he can sleep comfortably and we won't have to worry about the tide if it comes in."

Kris loved this beach. There was something mysterious and exhilarating. The energy that filled her was as encompassing as the scent of Seph every time she was around him. The sand was gritty and soft at the same time. It smelled rich like coffee and chicory did after being brewed. The three of them dug a hole big enough for Jaylon's body to rest for the day. After he was secured in the hole they also covered him back up so the sand could work its magic.

"Please come get me if he wakens or at sundown which ever comes first. I would like to check his wounds and make sure they are not getting infected. Also watch for fever, which is another sign of infection. If there is anything you may need just fetch me."

The blonde shook her head in reply but didn't speak to her nor did the large man that smelled of grass. She put her canvas bag over her shoulder and walked back towards the hut that she had come from. She was hoping to catch Seph there so she could examine his wound as well. The door was open so she walked right in and there he was with his back facing her. _He was tall as a man. How had she not noticed that before? Probably because he was on the ground the last time you were close to him._ She scoffed at herself, which alerted him to her presence. He turned those piercing eyes onto her face and that flashing of heat returned. She hated that he looked at her with such hatred. _I never did anything to him, why does he hate me?_ She took in a deep breath so she could talk.

Her voice still came out in a squawk, "I… I just came to check your wound."

He grunted and sat down in a nearby chair. The wound was barely there on his upper thigh. He had already removed the seaweed and it looked like it had been healing a week. She passed her fingers over his skin where it was still healing.

"It is almost gone," she said.

"Yes, we heal quite fast."

"But it has been barely 8 hours."

"I had a good healer."

She smiled then. She couldn't help it because although he looked at her in anger most of the time he was still able to compliment her in some way.

That smile could do things to even the strongest men. It made his stomach weak and made him want to forget where he was and who he was. But he couldn't forget. _Will I ever forgive myself? Should I even answer?_ He knew that he never would as long as he lived. She stood up and brushed her hands off.

"I think that you will not need my services anymore," she said.

His face was serious, "Good. Finally, I can rid myself of your dirty human hands."

"Oh…"

Her face was speechless and quite downtrodden and he wished he hadn't even attempted to joke poorly, "I was kidding."

She shot him a dirty look, "Well how am I suppose to know that. With all the angry looks you give me I would have never known."

"I am sorry. I am horrible at being funny. I don't know why I even tried." He tried because he wanted to see her smile like she did before. It made want to punch himself. _How stupid can you be? Entertaining the fact that this human was slightly attractive was one thing but wanting her to like you is on a whole new level. You have a responsibility to your people and that is your sole purpose of living, nothing else._

"Next time, try smiling when you try to make a joke so that your facial expression matches. There is no reason for such a serious face all the time when the face is so beautiful." Her face suddenly turned a violent shade of scarlet. "I should probably go," she said and ducked out of the hut before she or he could say anything else.

He sighed and rubbed his fingers across his eyes before splaying his body across the chair and leaning his neck back to close his eyes. He had to stay away from that girl. _She shall be your salvation. It was like a bad dream. A human is his salvation._ This was the Great Mother's way of punishing him for what he had done to his people. He had not taken his responsibilities seriously while his father was alive and now that his father was dead his fate was to be thrown together with more humans. The very things he wanted to never have contact with again. _Will I ever forgive myself?_ Seph had a feeling that Krisandra was going to be a thorn in his side and he should have known the moment he laid his eyes on her.


	7. Is it all True?

Krisandra had to leave her town as soon as she could to take a trip into the city. She had to see the devastation for herself. Seph had said that the government was killing people all over the world and that the world was dying and she had to see it with her own eyes. After opening her big mouth in front of Seph she needed a little bit of fresh air. She walked down the beach towards her house. Kris soon found herself at the spot where she officially met Seph and helped him. _You needed to stop thinking about him. It would do you no good._ In a couple months, maybe a year or more she will have to forget about him and all his people. They would be gone and moved to the next seaside village. There is no reason to get attached to anyone, to even love anyone or she will just end up like her mother, hateful. _I would never do what my mother did to me._

She drifted up to her house and packed up a bag that could be carried. She found one of her larger canvas bags and filled it with a change of clothes and some medical supplies. She always needed her medical instruments and healing salves wherever she went. Of course she couldn't leave immediately because of her patient, Jaylon, but once he was within the limits of being better she was going to take off to visit the city. _Will I be able to handle it?_


	8. The Boss

Marshal Romney "Boss" Erickson looked out the clear windows of his suite on the 50th floor of his government building. The ruins that splayed around him cause delight to run through him. He loved the destruction. A deep breath inhaled allowed him to savor the fresh air and remember that the air out there was thick and suffocating. He wanted them all to suffer. The more they suffered the more these people would have to depend on him for their every need. He wanted to be needed. A knock sounded at the door and he beckoned for them to enter before turning around.

"What is it Edwin?"

The small fine boned man tapped his fingers together and yanked at the fabric of his coat as if to fix some wrinkle before it could be seen. His eyes darted around to make sure there were no other listeners before speaking.

"Boss, the slime scales have been relocated to the new location. When would you like to commence the next stage of the program?"

"Give it about a week. Let them realize that they have no choice but to oblige or be terminated."

"Yes sir Marshal, you also have a meeting in fifteen minutes to discuss the progress of the program. Your panel will be waiting for your instructions."

"I will leave shortly."

Edwin ducked his head while rotating around to leave the room. The Marshal was left to pull out a list and a folder that he knew contained the information meant only for his eyes. He would not let his panel know the real reason for this program that his great-great grandfather created in order to be in complete control for the rest of their existence. Boss's father told him once that the firstborn child was aborted because it was a female child and his father only wanted a boy and no other. The child was only meant for his destiny, a destiny that included ruling this world. Boss walked out of the room and down the hall. The lights were bright and the carpet was a deep red while the walls were a stark white. It was an almost unbearable contrast on the eyes. He opened the door and sat in front of the double paned glass where his panel sat on the other side. The Marshal was always doubly protected from radicals and assassination attempts because he was the last of the Erickson line.

"Good afternoon gentleman," the Marshal said.

"Herald to the Highest, Mighty Marshal" they chimed in unison.

"The first thing that must be put into action is the function of the rich lands. How are the people?"

"They are well. As always they are thriving."

"Here in the city the poor must be reminded why I am so good to them. Why don't we release our donation of food for the month early to show them how generous we are."

"Of course sir"

"The new program has started for this generation of people. We are hoping to come up with a good batch of organs these coming years. These new infants born of this union will lend a good batch of stem cells that can be used to keep the Rikas satisfied this century." He smiled then because he knew that was not the only thing he was looking for. He really wanted a mutant. He wanted the one his ancestor projected would appear that had special talents that were genetically mutated from the human and mer-people genes.

"That is satisfactory. We will inform the Rikas of their impending arrival. They will be please and be happy to provide their financial support."

"I am glad."

He smiled again but like before it did not reach his eyes. The men on the other side of the glass seemed pleased and he could care less what they were happy about. He needed this mutant so he could ensure his future rule. If he was the most powerful man he could then also become the richest man while also making use of the Rikas medical practices that allowed them to live such long lives. He would be unstoppable. He rubbed his long beard before chiming back in the meeting.

"We also need to send someone to keep their eyes on the new breeders."

"We agree."

"I want someone who is loyal and will keep good tabs on the people and their progress."

"We agree. Do you have someone in mind?"

"I do. My assistant Edwin can go while his twin brother, Edward, will remain as my temporary assistant. Their family has been under my families employ for over 200 generations. I trust they can do their jobs accordingly."

"He leaves in a week."

"Agreed."

"We all think this meeting has been finalized, do you have anything further to discuss?"

"I do have one more thing. I have heard that the island of Villi and Agria have resources that could be of use to us. I have also heard that the inhabitants are cannibals that will tear anyone who lands there apart. That is why it has remained untouched for so long. Would we be interested in sending a team to acquire more information?"

"The gains would be great in taking hold of such bounty. We also concur to agree on this decision to also send a team to investigate if it is worth seizing."

The Marshal shook his head and stroked his beard, "Wise. Meeting adjourned. See you gentleman in a week."

Marshal Romney stood up and walked back into his private hall that lead back down to his suite. He was satisfied with the outcome of todays meeting. His room smelled of cigars and he knew his father was sitting in his office.

"Herald to the Highest General Paulran."

"Did everything go well at the meeting?"

"Yes Father"

"General."

"My apologies, General."

"Did you mention the islands?"

"Yes General."

"I expect results Romney. Do not disappoint me."

"I wouldn't dream of it General."

His father's gray eyes scrutinized his appearance while the cigar smoke tendrils rose up around his head. His gray suit was tailored to his slim body and wide chest. He filled the room with his presence and suffocated Romney with the smell of cigars. The General stood up from the desk and walked out of the room. Romney picked up a tumbler and poured himself a drink. The sweet scent filled his nostrils before he sipped the ambrosial liquid. His eyes darted to the bookcase. He stepped in front of the books and pulled the red covered book, which revolved the bookcase so he could step through the doorway and then it slid back into place.

The room was small, the walls were a deep purple, and a red chair sat in front of a small fireplace. A huge portrait of a woman dressed in red hung above the mantle while a dresser sat in the corner adorned with multiple knick-knacks of all kinds. A wooden jewelry box sat in the middle of the mermaid sculptures, glass animal figurines, perfume bottles, and photo frames. He set his drink on the dresser carefully and opened the top drawer and pulled out a scarf and wrapped his neck in it. The smell of gardenias and lilacs filled his nostrils, which brought back the memories of a woman who would come to him in the middle of the night to kiss him and rock him while his father slept. Her soft voice echoed in his ears, "Sweet son of mine, I love you with all my heart." And then she would be gone before the morning light. He pulled out a ring from her jewelry box and slipped it on his pinky finger before grabbing his glass and sitting down in front of the painting of his mother.


	9. Divine Blood

**Flidias' Shores**

Later that night Kris checked in on Jaylon at the black healing sands. The very big man who carried him to the sands was sitting next to him. His clear blue eyes coldly settled onto her while the scent of fresh cut grass wafted around them. Krisandra straightened her shoulders and strode over to them.

Krisandra bent down and checked the boy's pulse which seemed to be pounding strongly in his neck. Her eyes slanted up at the bulky man a question in her eyes, "Can you help me to uncover him. I need to check his wounds."

The grass scented man scooped the black silk sand with his large hands and quickly unburied the boy. The cuts and punctures were almost healed and the seaweed she had packed into the wounds had been pushed out into the sand.

"These look great… I mean healing wise they have quite improved since I last saw them. I think it is safe to say that he will be fine in a couple of days ready to try and escape again in no time."

The large man looked at her his mouth becoming even more of a grim line than it was before.

"I was just joking about the escaping part."

He grunted at her response. Kris couldn't help it; she talked when she got nervous.

"Well, I suppose you can take him back to his home and get him comfortable. There is no need for me any more."

Like sawing wood his gruff voice permeated the silence and surprised her because she expected nothing at all, "Thank you."

"Your Welcome."

The man scooped up Jaylon and started walking back to the huts. Krisandra strode towards Janus' home so she could let her know where she planned on going. She had to tell someone that she was taking a trip to the city to see if what Seph told her was true. It had been in the back of her mind for these last two days. If she didn't see for herself then how was she to figure out how to help her people? The lights radiated from the windows to cast a nice path up to Janus' door. The knock sounded hollow as her fist hit the wood.

Janus met her at the opening. She felt strange telling her best friend that she was leaving. Kris cracked her knuckles before taking a deep breath and sighing, "I am leaving."

"What do you mean you are leaving?"

"I'm only going to be gone a couple of days. I'm going to the city to see if it is true, what Seph said about the world around us."

"Isn't that a little dangerous? What will you do if someone notices you are not from that place?"

"I'll figure it out when I get there."

"What do I tell the people if they need your help?"

"I'm not the only one here who knows how to heal people. You have helped me more than I can count. I think you can handle the small things that happen while I am gone."

"Wait, I can't. I am not anything compared to you. What if something more than a little small thing happens while you are gone? I can't do that."

"Yes you can. I believe in your abilities. You know where all my stuff is, just take what you need. I doubt you will need it though. I love you."

Krisandra hugged her friend and squished her tightly into her embrace. She always felt they should have been sisters. Then at least when she was growing up she wouldn't have felt so alone. When she pulled back she had tears in her eyes. She had never, not even once, left the refuge of her small hometown. Without another word she turned to leave and headed to her house to pick up the bag she had packed for her journey.

Krisandra tossed and turned that night not able to sleep although she needed to sleep so she could use her energy traveling the next day. A woman's voice disturbed her reverie of sleeplessness. At first she thought someone was outside her window but when she peeked outside there was not a trace of any thing much less a person. The air around her seemed to become charged with energy that hummed like the flitter of hummingbird wings and caused her heart to race in her breast.

"Young lady Krisandra, there is no one to look for."

"Who is it? How are you talking to me without being here?"

"I am the great mother."

"That is not possible."

"I beg to differ."

Krisandra's voice hitched into a high pitch, "I'm losing my mind. I'm going crazy. There is no other explanation."

"Will you quiet that girl? I have something to tell you before it is too late."

"Okay, let's say this isn't a dream or a delusion, what could you possible be able to tell me that will help me in any way?"

"You have divine blood in your veins. You are borne of the blood of my divine spirit. The man who fathered you was a son of my son. You bear a gift that you have still not discovered but will soon come to full power once you become a true woman. This power will give you a gift so powerful that nothing and no one can stand in your way. Your healing ability is just a tip of the fin that allows you to remain apart but still the same. Once this new ability shows face you won't be able to hide anymore and must transform from Krisandra to the mighty mother of your people. Your path will soon conjoin with a man who is more than a man. Take this gift and guide your people to freedom. This I bestow unto you so bless it be."

And then the air around her seemed to clear and the voice dissipated back into nothing creating this sense that it was nothing more than a trick of the mind. _Yes, that's it. Just a trick. It couldn't be anything else._ With those thoughts she settled back into bed and fell instantly asleep.

The day went by quickly as Krisandra hiked through the forests west towards the ruined city. It would take her at least two good days of hiking to reach the city and it gave her a lot of time to think about what that female voice said, the great mother. What did she mean by becoming a woman? She had already become a woman when she received her blood cycle at 14. She couldn't possibly mean when she lost her innocence. Although she had found some men attractive she never saw the need to couple with them. It seemed wrong somehow to give herself to someone she didn't love. _Then how in the world are you going to breed with these mer-men?_ Her mind started jumping from thought to thought like bees swarming her brain and stinging her without mercy. She was going to lose her innocence to someone who more than likely hated her much less loved her. So much for saving it for a man she loved.


	10. The Rikas

**The City of Rikas**

Trinik looked up from her book when the ruler came down on her desk.

"I said, Trinik, when is it safe to leave the Haven?" Doman's eyes scrutinized her fragile form.

"Never. It is never safe to leave the Haven."

"Correct."

The minute Doman, her teacher, walked away her eyes fell back down to the page of her book. She wasn't listening but neither was she reading the words that graced the page. Trinik's mind wandered to a place in her imagination. Golden eyes warmed her as her thoughts swirled to Bryn's face. Her eyes seemed to move down from her eyes to her mouth. The same mouth that kissed her last night. Then the shame hit her, she would never be allowed to love her but she still did. She loved to hear her tinkling laugh, and the way her eyes sparkled while talking about the outside. There were plenty of outsiders here but never any chance of leaving. She was one of the youngest Rika in existence and being young in a city of immortals made her precious. Trinik hated being watched and treated like a fragile glass form hanging on a ledge. She never got to be alone and there was no chance of escape.

The bell rang like a shrill siren and she slammed the book shut with a sigh. Her feet dragged through the streets as she made her way home with Bryn close behind her. Bryn, her best friend, and the woman she loved. It wasn't because she was a woman that she couldn't be with her: it was her heritage. She was an "organ bag", a dismissible, impure mixed breed human, not a Rika. All the horrible words floated down around her as her feet carried her home, all the while; Bryn's essence surrounded her from behind.

The person that could be considered her mother greeted her with a stare when she entered her house. Her "mother" or uterine carrier did hold her infantile form while growing but she was not what she considered a mother. Bryn's mom, who was their housemaid, was the real woman who raised her. Trinik learned compassion and empathy from her, something she could have never learned from her uterine carrier or any Rika for that matter. Rika's were known for their cold, emotionless personalities because that was how they evolved.

Trinik had always known she was different, that she could not relate to her species. She had also evolved into something new, a different Rika. She also knew it was dangerous for anyone to find out or suffer the penalty of death. It ate her up inside to have to wear a mask to hide her suffering and empathy for the cruel world around her.

The moment the door to her room closed Bryn grabbed her hand and kissed her again. Trinik's clear white eyes opened as Bryn pulled away to glance at her. "What is wrong Trin?"

A sigh escaped and all the pain constricted her heart, "I am afraid. I love you. I am glad I finally told you but I don't want to hide this. I don't want to hide us. I want to leave here, leave my people. I don't want to live like them. The reason humans die is to make life precious. Rika's are evil; I am evil to allow your species to be used to keep us immortal. Life has no meaning if it goes on forever without you in it."

Bryn placed her pale hands around Trin's dark face framing it as she pulled her back to her lips. Bryn brushed her lips against Trinik's then deepening the kiss until their breaths mingled within each other's bodies. Bryn pulled back away "This is why I fell in love with you. Because you are special, you are not like them."

"That's what I keep telling myself. I don't think not being like my kind excuses the atrocities that occur here. If I was really that special I would do something about it, right?"

"Trinik you are only one person. What more could you do than not participating in the horrible practice?"

She shook her head, "I don't know," she whispered the next sentence, " I want you to go away with me. We can leave and never look back."

Bryn's eyes got sad, "There isn't anywhere to go. It's mostly wasteland out there, maybe a couple of towns and the ruined city. The earth is collapsing from environmental strain. It won't live much longer."

"Why isn't anyone doing anything about this?"

"They tried Trin. Your people won."


End file.
